Includes failures in the dedicated process for assessing, disclosing, verifying and monitoring divers’ medical fitness before and during occupational, recreational or technical diving, including reliance on self-report, obtaining relevant medical information, checking current certificates and enforcing fitness requirements before courses or dives.
What is not included
Excludes general diving hazards, including immersion pulmonary oedema awareness, decompression risks and water-rescue arrangements, where medical-fitness controls are not deficient.
Excludes diver training, instructor qualifications and experience where the asserted deficiency is not the verification or management of medical fitness.
Excludes firearms, driving and other non-diving licensing medical-assessment processes.
Excludes clinical treatment or emergency response after a diver’s medical fitness has been reliably assessed and the relevant dive has commenced.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
British Diving Safety Group1
British Sub-Aqua Club1
Health and Safety Executive1
N.D.A.C. Limited1
Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)1
St Richard's Hospital1
Sub-Aqua Association1
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust1
Company limited by guarantee1
Healthcare site1
Maritime sector body1
NHS trust1
Private limited company1
Professional membership body1
Workplace safety regulator1
Type not available1
Reports and published responses 4 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
Concerns raised1
Overreliance on self-declaration questionnaires without further enquiry or access to previous medical history
Linked response
Sub-Aqua Association
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Sub-Aqua Association
Include immersion pulmonary oedema in the diving medical screening declaration.
Sub-Aqua Association
Remind members at renewal and through periodic newsletters to complete medical declarations accurately.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Sub-Aqua Association
Revised medical screening forms and existing training changes are considered sufficient to mitigate the risk of immersion pulmonary oedema in diving.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Gloucestershire
Concerns raised1
Failure to give sufficient consideration to a fitness-to-dive medical certificate as a prerequisite for diving participation
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
British Diving Safety Group
NDAC Ltd
United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC
Consider new information affecting fitness-to-dive guidance at each committee meeting.
United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC
Require health declarations to identify IPO and other health factors influencing IPO risk before referral for medical advice or physical examination.
British Diving Safety Group
Update recreational diving medical questionnaires to include specific screening questions or references concerning immersion pulmonary oedema.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.6
United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC
The existing health declaration and referral process is considered sufficient; routine annual physical examinations add no benefit for those declaring no problems.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC
Reintroducing routine physical examinations would not identify independently diving people or those at risk because no specific test for IPO susceptibility exists.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC
Reducing dishonest health declarations remains difficult because access to general practitioner records has proved unhelpful in some cases.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC
A medical certificate requirement based on IPO risk is considered justifiable only if an equivalent requirement applies to open-water swimming.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
NDAC Ltd
Responsibility for current diving-operation safety arrangements lies with DTSL, the new operator, which should be contacted for further information.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
British Diving Safety Group
Existing self-declaration questionnaires and referral arrangements are considered sufficient; a fitness-to-dive medical certificate is not required before participation.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Leicester City and South Leicestershire
Concerns raised2
Reliance on divers’ self-reporting failing to ensure disclosure of salient health facts
Lack of requirement to obtain divers’ General Practitioner records or enquire into other practitioners’ treatment or advice
Linked response
UK Diving Medical Committee
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
UK Diving Medical Committee
The current self-certification system, including requests for further information and specialist advice, is considered sufficient; no change is needed.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
UK Diving Medical Committee
Obtaining full, unadjusted medical records for all divers is impractical because general practitioners refuse non-NHS forms.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
North and West Cumbria
Concerns raised1
Lack of a system to verify divers’ medical-certificate compliance before Technical diving courses
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
PADI EMEA Ltd
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
PADI EMEA Ltd
Require current physician approval for students undertaking technical diving courses.
PADI EMEA Ltd
Provide Tec Diver Training Records for instructors to document training steps and medical-statement sign-off.
PADI EMEA Ltd
Operate a Quality Management Program that monitors and responds to concerns about training omissions and paperwork.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
PADI EMEA Ltd
Existing medical-certification requirements, forms and course standards are considered sufficient to ensure current medical approval for technical-diving courses.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
PADI EMEA Ltd
Existing standards updates, training support, student acknowledgements and quality-management processes are considered sufficient to address omissions and safety concerns.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
PADI EMEA Ltd
Instructors, rather than the organisation, are responsible for ensuring course requirements are met and maintaining familiarity with current standards and procedures.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.